About
Us

The Heritage
Community Foundation

The Heritage
Community Foundation is a charitable Trust (Charitable Number:
87082 2541 RR0001) committed to connecting people with heritage.
As a new kind of community foundation, it is not bounded by
geography but based on interest in the value of heritage for
individuals, their communities and society.

The Foundation
has already received recognition for its state-of-the-art
programs involving new technology and experiential learning.
Working collaboratively with public and private-sector partners,
the Foundation seeks support not only for its own flagship
programs but also for those of partners and stakeholders at
the local, regional, provincial and national levels.

The Foundation’s
goal is for heritage to be valued by everyone. Heritage is
broadly defined in all its aspects—historical, natural,
cultural, scientific and technological. The Foundation exists:

To
be a strong public voice for heritage

To
build individual and community identity and pride through
research, public education and youth programs

To
build resources to sustain heritage institutions, organizations
and related projects and activities.

The Heritage
Community Foundation has the following primary areas of interest
based on its charitable objects: Youth Programs, Public Education
and Research. All programs link people with place, stories,
objects, landscapes, traditions—all of those aspects that
define us as individuals and communities. The following are
the Foundation’s flagship programs.

Digital Links

The Foundation’s
Public Education Programs use old and new technologies to make
history come alive. The Alberta Online Encyclopedia (www.albertasource.ca)
is a dynamic resource and gateway to the Province’s rich
historical, natural and cultural heritage. The Foundation presents
Alberta’s history using text, images and audio/video including
CKUA Radio Network’s Heritage Trails. Benefiting students,
parents and educators, the sites are for anyone with an interest
in Alberta’s rich heritage. The Foundation also helps
build the capacity of heritage institutions and organizations
to develop web content.

Youth Links

The Foundations
Youth Programs involve children and youth (kindergarten to
grade 12 and beyond) in heritage study that makes history
come alive. Projects build knowledge and skills to enrich
the lives of individuals and their communities, making links
between generations and building community identity. Youth
projects and teacher resources are featured on the Foundation’s
dedicated youth site, the Alberta Youth Source (www.youthsource.ab.ca).

Research Links

The Foundation
initiates and supports projects that address controversial
aspects of Alberta’s history. Focus groups, conferences
and other special events will share research findings with
the public. Many perspectives help to illuminate our history.
Topics to be explored range from Alberta’s mission past
and residential schools to the treatment of people with disabilities.
The Foundation will also initiate and support projects that
survey and define the needs of various publics with respect
to heritage.

People Links

In order
to develop our understanding of the contributions made by
living individuals, families and groups, the Heritage Community
Foundation promotes research and oral history. Heritage professionals,
interns, students and volunteers will help determine our unsung
heroes. Alberta Heroes will include voluntary and charitable
sector leaders, business leaders, elected officials, professionals,
arts and culture representatives, educators—all areas
of human endeavour. The information gathered, a living record
of achievement, will be communicated in various ways (for
example, electronic, print and broadcast). This is a Public
Education initiative.